Hollywood stars come out against anti-Semitism
About 400 international artists and stars, including singers, actors and executives in the entertainment industry, signed a petition in which they oppose the demand to disqualify Israel's participation in this year's Eurovision Song Contest.
Despite the unequivocal clarification by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) that Israel will participate in Eurovision, there are still many European countries that call for Israel to be banned from the competition.
Among the signers of the petition: Helen Mirren, Liev Schreiber, Haim Saban, Boy George, Mayim Bialik, Juliana Margolis, Sharon Osbourne, Debra Messing, Salma Blair, Gene Simmons, Guy Nativ, Tom Arnold and more.
"Punishing Israel would be the opposite of doing justice," the artists wrote in the petition.
"Israel is fighting against a terrorist organization defined as such by the European Union and it violated a ceasefire on October 7 and then continued to slaughter over 1,200 people. The current war is not a war that Israel chose or wanted."
"Events such as singing competitions are unifying events. They are essential to bridge cultural gaps and unite people from different backgrounds through their love of music. Anyone who calls for Israel to be excluded from the competition hurts the spirit of the competition and turns it from a celebration of unity into a political tool."
Helen Mirren/Image processing, Imagebank GettyImages
The successful Hollywood actress Penelope Cruz wrote this morning to her 6.8 million followers on her Instagram page: "Ceasefire now, release of all abductees now."
Last November, Penelope Cruz referred to the war when she wrote on her Instagram page: "Children do not start conflicts and they have no ability to stop them. All parties must stop the violence and prevent any violation that is committed against children."
Penelope Cruz/Image manipulation, Getty Images
A week and a half ago, the Grammy ceremony was held in Los Angeles and towards its end, producer Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, which is responsible for the Grammy Awards, took the stage with a moving tribute to the victims of the Hamas massacre at the Nova Festival.
"Music must always be our safe space." , he said. "When that thing is violated, it hurts the heart of who we are.
We felt it at the Taklan concert hall in Paris.
We felt it in Manchester Arena in England.
We felt it at the Route 91 Harvest music festival in Las Vegas.
And on October 7, we felt that again when we heard the tragic news from the 'Supernova for Love' music festival, that over 360 music fans lost their lives, and another 40 were kidnapped." "Let's all
agree that music must remain the common ground on which we all stand together in peace and harmony," He added. "Because music has always been one of the great authors of mankind.
Think about it: every song we honor or hear tonight touched someone, no matter where they came from or what they believed.
It connected them to others who were moved in the same way."
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Producer Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, which is responsible for the Grammy Awards, with Taylor Swift, 2024 Grammys/GettyImages, Monica Schipper/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
As he spoke, a string quartet played beneath him, to which Mason Jr. commented: "Individually, they sound really good, but together, they accomplish something beautiful that they could never do individually," he said.
"These musicians of Palestinian, Israeli and Arab origin play here together. Now is the time for us, for humanity, to play together and unite in empathy and love."
On behalf of Nova producers, it was stated: "We thank and appreciate the chairman of the Grammys for his moving words.
Lord, the whole world has heard your words, while the people of darkness are busy rewriting reality and truth.
Thank you for using the important Grammy stage, in front of the whole world, for making the voice of our friends and loved ones who lost their lives on the dance floor and for bringing to the stage the call for the return of the kidnapped.
"The Nova community is part of the international music community which indeed, as you described, shares the values of love, peace and mutual respect. The Nova community represents the values of the people of Israel and their yearning for peace. Thank you for telling about the crime of the neo-Nazis and for telling the story to the whole world about who Israeli society is facing We thank and appreciate and cherish and as we said: We will dance again".
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The influencer and creator Montana Tucker in a dress that pays tribute to the Israeli abductees and Hamas victims, on the red carpet at the 2024 Grammy ceremony/GettyImages, Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
In the audience were a number of artists and celebrities who wore the kidnappers pin, including the actress Jay Smith-Cameron (Jeri from "The Heirs") and the actor John Ortiz (the villain Arturo Braga from the "Fast and Furious" movies).
The biggest gesture of all was from the influencer and creator Montana Tucker, who has 9 million followers on Tiktok and 3.1 million on Instagram, and even came to Israel for a solidarity visit last December.
She came to the ceremony with a dress designed entirely in the shape of the kidnappers' brooch, on which the inscription "Bring them back home", in crying support for the victims of the barbaric massacre by Hamas.
Even before October 7, Tucker, the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, used her platform to explain and educate about the Holocaust of European Jews and against anti-Semitism.
More on the same topic:
Grammy 2024
Gaza war